On the morning of their departure, Alan called to see his father, and explain the situation. He felt some explanation was by this time necessary. As yet no one in London knew anything officially as to his relations with Herminia; and for Herminia's sake, Alan had hitherto kept them perfectly16 private. But now, further reticence17 was both useless and undesirable18; he determined to make a clean breast of the whole story to his father. It was early for a barrister to be leaving town for the Easter vacation; and though Alan had chambers19 of his own in Lincoln's Inn, where he lived by himself, he was so often in and out of the house in Harley Street that his absence from London would at once have attracted the parental20 attention.
Dr. Merrick was a model of the close-shaven clear-cut London consultant21. His shirt-front was as impeccable as his moral character was spotless—in the way that Belgravia and Harley Street still understood spotlessness. He was tall and straight, and unbent by age; the professional poker22 which he had swallowed in early life seemed to stand him in good stead after sixty years, though his hair had whitened fast, and his brow was furrowed23 with most deliberative wrinkles. So unapproachable he looked, that not even his own sons dared speak frankly24 before him. His very smile was restrained; he hardly permitted himself for a moment that weak human relaxation25.
Alan called at Harley Street immediately after breakfast, just a quarter of an hour before the time allotted26 to his father's first patient. Dr. Merrick received him in the consulting-room with an interrogative raising of those straight, thin eyebrows27. The mere7 look on his face disconcerted Alan. With an effort the son began and explained his errand. His father settled himself down into his ample and dignified28 professional chair—old oak round-backed,—and with head half turned, and hands folded in front of him, seemed to diagnose with rapt attention this singular form of psychological malady29. When Alan paused for a second between his halting sentences and floundered about in search of a more delicate way of gliding30 over the thin ice, his father eyed him closely with those keen, gray orbs31, and after a moment's hesitation32 put in a "Well, continue," without the faintest sign of any human emotion. Alan, thus driven to it, admitted awkwardly bit by bit that he was leaving London before the end of term because he had managed to get himself into delicate relations with a lady.
Dr. Merrick twirled his thumbs, and in a colorless voice enquired33, without relaxing a muscle of his set face,
"What sort of lady, please? A lady of the ballet?"
"Oh, no!" Alan cried, giving a little start of horror. "Quite different from that. A real lady."
"They always ARE real ladies,—for the most part brought down by untoward34 circumstances," his father responded coldly. "As a rule, indeed, I observe, they're clergyman's daughters."
"This one is," Alan answered, growing hot. "In point of fact, to prevent your saying anything you might afterwards regret, I think I'd better mention the lady's name. It's Miss Herminia Barton, the Dean of Dunwich's daughter."
His father drew a long breath. The corners of the clear-cut mouth dropped down for a second, and the straight, thin eyebrows were momentarily elevated. But he gave no other overt35 sign of dismay or astonishment36.
"That makes a great difference, of course," he answered, after a long pause. "She IS a lady, I admit. And she's been to Girton."
"She has," the son replied, scarcely knowing how to continue.
Dr. Merrick twirled his thumbs once more, with outward calm, for a minute or two. This was most inconvenient37 in a professional family.
"And I understand you to say," he went on in a pitiless voice, "Miss Barton's state of health is such that you think it advisable to remove her at once—for her confinement, to Italy?"
"Exactly so," Alan answered, gulping38 down his discomfort39.
The father gazed at him long and steadily40.
"Well, I always knew you were a fool," he said at last with paternal41 candor42; "but I never yet knew you were quite such a fool as this business shows you. You'll have to marry the girl now in the end. Why the devil couldn't you marry her outright43 at first, instead of seducing44 her?"
"I did not seduce45 her," Alan answered stoutly46. "No man on earth could ever succeed in seducing that stainless47 woman."
Dr. Merrick stared hard at him without changing his attitude on his old oak chair. Was the boy going mad, or what the dickens did he mean by it?
"You HAVE seduced48 her," he said slowly. "And she is NOT stainless if she has allowed you to do so."
"It is the innocence49 which survives experience that I value, not the innocence which dies with it," Alan answered gravely.
"I don't understand these delicate distinctions," Dr. Merrick interposed with a polite sneer50. "I gather from what you said just now that the lady is shortly expecting her confinement; and as she isn't married, you tell me, I naturally infer that SOMEBODY must have seduced her—either you, or some other man."
It was Alan's turn now to draw himself up very stiffly.
"I beg your pardon," he answered; "you have no right to speak in such a tone about a lady in Miss Barton's position. Miss Barton has conscientious51 scruples52 about the marriage-tie, which in theory I share with her; she was unwilling53 to enter into any relations with me except in terms of perfect freedom."
"I see," the old man went on with provoking calmness. "She preferred, in fact, to be, not your wife, but your mistress."
Alan rose indignantly. "Father," he said, with just wrath54, "if you insist upon discussing this matter with me in such a spirit, I must refuse to stay here. I came to tell you the difficulty in which I find myself, and to explain to you my position. If you won't let me tell you in my own way, I must leave the house without having laid the facts before you."
The father spread his two palms in front of him with demonstrative openness. "As you will," he answered. "My time is much engaged. I expect a patient at a quarter past ten. You must be brief, please."
Alan made one more effort. In a very earnest voice, he began to expound55 to his father Herminia's point of view. Dr. Merrick listened for a second or two in calm impatience56. Then he consulted his watch. "Excuse me," he said. "I have just three minutes. Let us get at once to the practical part—the therapeutics of the case, omitting its aetiology: You're going to take the young lady to Italy. When she gets there, will she marry you? And do you expect me to help in providing for you both after this insane adventure?"
Alan's face was red as fire. "She will NOT marry me when she gets to Italy," he answered decisively. "And I don't want you to do anything to provide for either of us."
The father looked at him with the face he was wont57 to assume in scanning the appearance of a confirmed monomaniac. "She will not marry you," he answered slowly; "and you intend to go on living with her in open concubinage! A lady of birth and position! Is that your meaning?"
"Father," Alan cried despairingly, "Herminia would not consent to live with me on any other terms. To her it would be disgraceful, shameful58, a sin, a reproach, a dereliction of principle. She COULDN'T go back upon her whole past life. She lives for nothing else but the emancipation59 of women."
"And you will aid and abet60 her in her folly61?" the father asked, looking up sharply at him. "You will persist in this evil course? You will face the world and openly defy morality?"
"I will not counsel the woman I most love and admire to purchase her own ease by proving false to her convictions," Alan answered stoutly.
Dr. Merrick gazed at the watch on his table once more. Then he rose and rang the bell. "Patient here?" he asked curtly62. "Show him in then at once. And, Napper, if Mr. Alan Merrick ever calls again, will you tell him I'm out?—and your mistress as well, and all the young ladies." He turned coldly to Alan. "I must guard your mother and sisters at least," he said in a chilly63 voice, "from the contamination of this woman's opinions."
Alan bowed without a word, and left the room. He never again saw the face of his father.
点击收听单词发音
1 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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2 pros | |
abbr.prosecuting 起诉;prosecutor 起诉人;professionals 自由职业者;proscenium (舞台)前部n.赞成的意见( pro的名词复数 );赞成的理由;抵偿物;交换物 | |
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3 cons | |
n.欺骗,骗局( con的名词复数 )v.诈骗,哄骗( con的第三人称单数 ) | |
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4 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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5 confinement | |
n.幽禁,拘留,监禁;分娩;限制,局限 | |
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6 lodgings | |
n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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7 mere | |
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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8 concealment | |
n.隐藏, 掩盖,隐瞒 | |
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9 flaunted | |
v.炫耀,夸耀( flaunt的过去式和过去分词 );有什么能耐就施展出来 | |
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10 supreme | |
adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的 | |
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11 pointed | |
adj.尖的,直截了当的 | |
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12 beset | |
v.镶嵌;困扰,包围 | |
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13 immoral | |
adj.不道德的,淫荡的,荒淫的,有伤风化的 | |
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14 prudent | |
adj.谨慎的,有远见的,精打细算的 | |
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15 judgment | |
n.审判;判断力,识别力,看法,意见 | |
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16 perfectly | |
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
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17 reticence | |
n.沉默,含蓄 | |
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18 undesirable | |
adj.不受欢迎的,不良的,不合意的,讨厌的;n.不受欢迎的人,不良分子 | |
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19 chambers | |
n.房间( chamber的名词复数 );(议会的)议院;卧室;会议厅 | |
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20 parental | |
adj.父母的;父的;母的 | |
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21 consultant | |
n.顾问;会诊医师,专科医生 | |
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22 poker | |
n.扑克;vt.烙制 | |
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23 furrowed | |
v.犁田,开沟( furrow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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24 frankly | |
adv.坦白地,直率地;坦率地说 | |
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25 relaxation | |
n.松弛,放松;休息;消遣;娱乐 | |
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26 allotted | |
分配,拨给,摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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27 eyebrows | |
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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28 dignified | |
a.可敬的,高贵的 | |
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29 malady | |
n.病,疾病(通常做比喻) | |
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30 gliding | |
v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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31 orbs | |
abbr.off-reservation boarding school 在校寄宿学校n.球,天体,圆形物( orb的名词复数 ) | |
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32 hesitation | |
n.犹豫,踌躇 | |
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33 enquired | |
打听( enquire的过去式和过去分词 ); 询问; 问问题; 查问 | |
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34 untoward | |
adj.不利的,不幸的,困难重重的 | |
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35 overt | |
adj.公开的,明显的,公然的 | |
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36 astonishment | |
n.惊奇,惊异 | |
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37 inconvenient | |
adj.不方便的,令人感到麻烦的 | |
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38 gulping | |
v.狼吞虎咽地吃,吞咽( gulp的现在分词 );大口地吸(气);哽住 | |
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39 discomfort | |
n.不舒服,不安,难过,困难,不方便 | |
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40 steadily | |
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地 | |
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41 paternal | |
adj.父亲的,像父亲的,父系的,父方的 | |
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42 candor | |
n.坦白,率真 | |
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43 outright | |
adv.坦率地;彻底地;立即;adj.无疑的;彻底的 | |
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44 seducing | |
诱奸( seduce的现在分词 ); 勾引; 诱使堕落; 使入迷 | |
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45 seduce | |
vt.勾引,诱奸,诱惑,引诱 | |
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46 stoutly | |
adv.牢固地,粗壮的 | |
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47 stainless | |
adj.无瑕疵的,不锈的 | |
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48 seduced | |
诱奸( seduce的过去式和过去分词 ); 勾引; 诱使堕落; 使入迷 | |
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49 innocence | |
n.无罪;天真;无害 | |
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50 sneer | |
v.轻蔑;嘲笑;n.嘲笑,讥讽的言语 | |
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51 conscientious | |
adj.审慎正直的,认真的,本着良心的 | |
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52 scruples | |
n.良心上的不安( scruple的名词复数 );顾虑,顾忌v.感到于心不安,有顾忌( scruple的第三人称单数 ) | |
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53 unwilling | |
adj.不情愿的 | |
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54 wrath | |
n.愤怒,愤慨,暴怒 | |
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55 expound | |
v.详述;解释;阐述 | |
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56 impatience | |
n.不耐烦,急躁 | |
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57 wont | |
adj.习惯于;v.习惯;n.习惯 | |
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58 shameful | |
adj.可耻的,不道德的 | |
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59 emancipation | |
n.(从束缚、支配下)解放 | |
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60 abet | |
v.教唆,鼓励帮助 | |
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61 folly | |
n.愚笨,愚蠢,蠢事,蠢行,傻话 | |
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62 curtly | |
adv.简短地 | |
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63 chilly | |
adj.凉快的,寒冷的 | |
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